Professor Fiona Stanley AC

 
Named Australian of the Year in 2003, Professor Stanley is a vocal advocate for the needs of children and their families.

Born in Sydney in 1946, she moved to Perth with her family in 1956. She studied medicine at the University of Western Australia and practised in hospitals for two years before going to the United Kingdom and USA for further training in epidemiology (the science of describing and explaining the occurrence of disease in populations), biostatistics and public health.

Professor Stanley is Patron of the Telethon Institute for Child Health Research and was founding Director when the Institute was established in Perth in 1990.  She is a Vice Chancellor's Distinguished Professorial Fellow at the University of Western Australia.  Professor Stanley also holds the position of Vice Chancellor's Professorial Fellow at the University of Melbourne where her principal role will be as Director of the 2013 Festival of Ideas.

 
Professor Stanley is also on the Board of the ABC and the Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth, a national collaboration of researchers, policy makers and practitioners from a broad range of disciplines who are committed to building a better future for Australia's children and young people.

In 2004, Professor Stanley was honoured as a “National Living Treasure” by the National Trust. She is the UNICEF Australia Ambassador for Early Childhood Development.

 
Professor Stanley has more than 300 published papers in scientific journals and  is a member of the Prime Minister’s Science, Engineering and Innovation Council. She has served on the Australian Social Inclusion Board and the WA State Government's Indigenous Implementation Board. She has given many presentations, both nationally and internationally, on the socio-economic determinants of child health.

Professor Stanley is married to Professor Geoffrey Shellam. They have two daughters.

 
Last updated 17 January 2012